How the Deckers Began
by Keys Studio
Summary: A Matt Miller story. Before Saints Row the Third starts. This is basically my theory as to how Matt Miller got roped into the Syndicate and started the Deckers gang. A simple request to come out to see his girlfriend turns into a meeting with Loren and the others. A meeting with Loren and the others turns into him becoming a gang leader. Language and slight violence.
1. Chapter 1

**I was texting YumiBaraHime in real life and I asked if she wanted to hear the theory I made as to how Matt Miller came to be a gang member, the leader of the Deckers gang. After I told her, she told me that I should put it on FanFiction.**

**And that I did, just now~! :D**

**So if you like this story, thank her for telling me to do it~.**

**Fair warning - I know that the time line is a little messed up when it comes to Nyte Blayde. I honestly just do not care though. So HA. HAHA. HAAAA. Fuck it. XD**

**I don't own Saints Row III, Volition and THQ do! I only own the plot of this story~. c:**

**[xXx]**

In the darkness of his room in a small town on the outskirts of London, sat a young, teenage boy, sitting on his bed with a laptop on his lap. His fingers going a mile a minute, he was focused on typing up the notes of a story that he was thinking about writing. Or rather, a fanfiction, if one wanted to get technical. He had been watching an American show called _Nyte Blayde_, where the main character was known as a vampire hunter. If the noirette had any theories about the show, it was that the main character, better known as Franklyn Nyte, was going to somehow be turned into a vampire. After all, the series had only just started and was only about three or four episodes in.

He wouldn't miss an episode for the world. It didn't matter if the previous episode had pissed him off royally or something happened to wreck his theories. He loved that American show. Even if his parents didn't exactly approve of him watching shows from a country that once was a set amount of colonies for their home country. Unlike his parents, the boy didn't live in the past that he had never lived or experienced. He didn't resent the Germans for bombing his home in the second World War. He didn't resent the United States of America for declaring their independence from England at the end of the Revolution.

Matt Miller lived in the present, and only lived in his past if he honestly and truly lived it. For example, if he were to get frustrated and damage his computer, it would be a past in which he lived. Granted, he would get all the more frustrated from damaging his computer, but still. In fact, he was on the verge of tossing it out of the covered window, finding it irritating that for whatever reason, his autocorrect spelling system wanted to correct every little thing from British spelling into American spelling. _Realise_ would become _realize_ and _coulor_ would become _color_, and so on and so forth.

"Why must this be so bloody complicated...?" Matt grumbled, turning off the autocorrect. Let there be red lines under his British spelling. He didn't give a rat's ass. He knew if he spelled it right or not, anyways... It was just certain words that he didn't know how to spell and to be frank, if he wanted, he could just type the word he needed into his phone and it would correct it for him in terms of spelling.

"Matthew! It's time for dinner!" called his mother from downstairs. Sighing ever so softly, Matt closed the lid to his laptop and sat it off to the side. He would be back for it anyways shortly after dinner, so he didn't need to worry about it overheating on him. Standing from his bed, the noirette left his dark room only to be greeted by the harsh lighting of the hallway, revealing him to be the tall, colorless teenager that he was. Blinking the spots in his vision away, the pale boy went downstairs and into the kitchen.

"Ah, there you are, Matthew," nodded his father from his place at the table. He had the same black hair that his boy had, but he was tanned from working out in his vegetable garden for years. His green eyes raked themselved over his son's body and clicked his tongue. "Honestly, boy. You need exercise. And some sunlight."

Matt rolled his eyes a little as he sat down across from his father. "Nice to see you too, Father," he mumbled out.

"Ah, leave the boy alone, Victor," smiled the teenager's mother as she set out their dinner in the center of the table. "He has his skills and they happen to be put to the test on today's more advanced technology. And if he chooses to hone his skills in a dark room with his laptop on his lap, then so be it."

Blushing, Matt shrank into himself a bit. Hearing it put like that by his mother honestly made it sound worse... "Mother..." he murmured softly, casting his gaze away shyly. "You make it sound like it's a bad thing..."

His mother sat down, but upon hearing his words, she almost stood up again. Relaxing herself, however, she asked him, "How so?"

"Well, Beatrice, seeing as to how you worded it..." chuckled Victor, shaking his head a little. He took her hand delicately. "Why don't I lead tonight's grace, hmm?"

Beatrice smiled and nodded, Matt's words forgotten. She laced her fingers with her husband's own, offering her free hand to her son. Hesitant, Matt took her hand and then extended his other out to his father who took it gently, knowing full well that if he used his normal grip on the boy, the teen would be trying to shake his squished up bones back into place all through dinner.

After reciting grace from heart and peeling their hands away from one anothers', they began to grab bits and pieces of food from the plates in the center of the table. Matt happily served himself a nice sized portion of salad, along with a small steak and some steamed rice. He was cutting up his steak when his phone went off in his pocket. Glancing at his parents a little hopefully, he pulled it out and tried to keep it out of view as he checked it. It was from his online girlfriend, sending him a picture of herself in a new shirt that she had bought.

The male smiled, looking over the picture a few times. His girlfriend had black hair, just like him, that was curly and bouncy and fell just past her shoulders, deep blue eyes lined with black eyeliner, lightly tanned skin, and a near perfect figure, especially for a girl who lived on the west coast of the United States in California. Steelport, he thought she had told him. Steelport, California... Shaking his head, he looked at the shirt and wasn't really surprised to see a mock-layer shirt over her torso, the short sleeve part black with blue flowers and the long sleeves striped with neon blue and bubblegum pink.

'_You look beautiful, Mary :)_' the British male texted her, smiling to himself. Hearing his mother clear her throat a little in warning, Matt quickly put his phone back into his pocket. He went back to eating, not wanting her to confiscate his phone. When he glanced over at her, he saw that she was smiling in pure and utter satisfaction that he did as she wanted without her having to speak up.

Of course, the male's phone had to go off once more in his pocket. And he couldn't answer it, at least not at the table. So, after quickly finishing his dinner, he excused himself from the table, taking his dishes over to the sink and rinsing them off. After that, he hurried back up to his bedroom, turning the light on for a change. Glancing around, the male had to hold back the urge to cringe. He seriously needed to spend a couple of hours cleaning, that was for sure.

Going over to his bed, he sat down and scooted up against the wall, pulling his phone back out of his pocket. He smiled as he read Mary's reply. '_You are just so sweet~! X3_'

As he started to text her back, he began to think about how the two of them met... He had been browsing the internet the year prior, and he had found a blog by, at the time, a mysterious girl from the United States. She had a lot of interesting ideas, whether they were about her democratic government system in which she lived in, or if they were just random things that she had thought about.

There had been one post that she had made about making a virtual reality that Matt could not help but comment on.

Matt couldn't remember how _exactly_ it happened, but after about two or three hundred messages back and forth between the two, one of them popped the question of 'will you go out with me?' and, of course, the other had said yes.

Ever since, they exchanged phone numbers, emails, and even home addresses for letters and presents. They had been dating for eight months thus far and they loved each other immensely, despite the huge gap of distance between the two.

'_Matt, I wish you were here. These gangs have me all kinds of nervous... :c_' Mary texted him.

Gangs? There were gangs in Steelport? '_I wish I could... I don't know if my parents would be very wild about letting their fourteen year old son fly out to California by himself though :/_'

'_What if you raised the money up yourself? Surely they would let you if you did that..._'

Matt thought about it. He had about fifty or sixty dollars already raised up to get Mary a present for their one year anniversary... but... '_I'll have to see. Get some rest now, okay? Stay indoors and don't get into trouble._'

'_I'll try, Matt. I love you. :)_'

'_I love you, too, my little Teacup~. :)_'

Putting away his phone, Matt pulled his laptop onto his lap, going into thought as he pulled up a new notepad file. He worked on what he could do to raise money, such as mowing the lawn or doing extra chores. It wasn't enough, though. He had to do something that would be worth more money... He paused.

His mother had pointed out earlier that he was good at using the modern technology of his time.

Computers. Cell phones. Televisions.

He grinned to himself.

Matt Miller just came up with a way to raise money for his trip to California. If his parents agreed to allow him to go by himself. Which he was sure he could possibly convince them to allow it... Hopefully.

**[xXx]**

**Read and review, my pretties~!**

**~Mary**


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own Saints Row III, Volition and THQ do! I only own the plot of this story~. c:**

**[xXx]**

It had taken four months of pure working for Matt to save up every bit of money he needed in order to be with his girlfriend in California and more. He had discussed it with his parents and they said that as long as he saved the money himself and promised to come right back home after two weeks, then he was allowed to go. Also, he had to call and talk to them for one hour a day. Both of them. Meaning that two out of his sixteen hours of the day were spent talking to his parents. However, the noirette wasn't about to complain about it. He was getting the chance to see his girlfriend, and that was all that mattered to him. At all. He was on his way to the air port, sitting in the passenger seat with his mother in the driver's seat. The woman was asking question after question, all of which Matt answered as truthfully as he could.

"Promise to call us every day? For one hour a day?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Promise to get us some souvenirs?"

"Yes, Mother."

"Are you going to get any tattoos while you're there?"

"No, Mother."

"Piercings?"

"No, Mother."

"Are you being a broken record?"

Matt rolled his eyes at her. "I'm just answering your questions, Mother," he told her. He checked his phone and smiled warmly to himself. Mary had texted him that by the time he got into California, it would be late at night for her, seeing as to how there was an eleven hour time difference. At least she thought it would be because she admitted to having no idea as to how long the plane flight would be, including processing and all that happy stuff. Thinking it over, if the male was in the plane by his two that afternoon, since it was noon at the moment, he would be there around her four in the morning. Then to add on whatever stuff that he had to do after he got there and off of the plane, it would be around maybe six or seven? Groaning softly to himself, he texted Mary, '_Can you leave me a spare key for me to get into your house? It'll be really early in your morning before I can get there. :(_'.

Mary texted him back almost imediately. '_Well, it's one in the morning here for me now. I'll go ahead and go to bed now, turn up my ringer, and I'll come pick you up if you'll text me when you get into town._'

'_Alright. I love you, my little teacup_,' Matt texted her with a small smile on his lips. '_Sweet dreams and sleep well, my love._'

'_I already have a sweet dream~. You~. :3 I love you, too, Matt. Night._'

"Texting your girlfriend?" teased Matt's mother as he texted back a quick 'good night' to Mary.

"Maybe," mused the male. "How close are we to the air port?"

"We're almost there, sweety."

Within minutes, they were there. Bidding his mother farewell, Matt went through processing. Eventually, he was boarding onto the plane. He had paid the extra money to get first class, sitting next to the window. A man, who he obviously did not recognize, sat beside him, fumbling to do something on his cell phone. A smart phone at that. Hearing him grumble in frustration, the teenager heard an obvious Beglian accent laced thickly into his voice. Glancing over, he saw what he was having trouble with. "May I help?" he asked him.

The man hesitated before handing him his phone. He watched with curious eyes as Matt helped him with his phone. He waited patiently before having the phone handed back to him. "How did you change my wallpaper?" he asked, staring in surprise at the red star on black background behind his basic apps on his home screen.

Matt had to hold his tongue for a moment before taking the phone back, holding it so the man could see. "You go to your photos," he explained, tapping the Photo app. "You choose which album to go into," he continued, tapping the Camera Roll album. "Then you go through your photos," he said, sliding the small photos up and down. "Then you select one." He tapped on a random picture. When he did, the picture became enlarged. "Then you press this button and confirm that you want the picture as your wallpaper." Matt then pressed the home button and locked the phone before handing it back to the man.

The man stared at his phone for a moment before unlocking it the way the teenager had locked it, sliding the little button to unlock it completely. "Can you turn it off for me? Seeing as to how we aren't supposed to have them on, and all..." he asked politely.

Matt nodded and held down the lock button on the phone. It asked for confirmation about being shut down. Tapping that, yes, the male wanted to shut the phone down, the phone turned itself off. "There you go," he mused. He decided to get a good look at the man while he put away his smart phone. The man looked like a business man, wearing a black tuxedo with a red (correct me if I'm wrong, here) scarf around his neck, a white undershirt, a red tie, slicked back white hair, and polished dress shoes. Before he realized what was happening, he was handed a business card that read, 'MorningStar - Syndicate / Phillipe Loren / CEO / Syndicate Tower, Steelport, California'. There was no phone number or an email address, Matt noted as he took the card into his hands.

"My name is Phillipe Loren," the man informed the teenager. "And I would like to formally thank you for helping me with my phone."

"Formally thank me?" frowned Matt, glancing up from the card in his hands.

"We could use someone like you in the Syndicate," Loren told him.

"Meaning?"

Loren reached over and lightly tapped the card. "Meet me at the Syndicate Tower at nine p.m. once we reach Steelport."

Matt frowned more and handed back the card. "Sorry..." he apologized. "But I'm only going to Steelport to visit my girlfriend for two weeks..."

"Ah, don't worry about it," mused the male. "I'm sure that I can set something up so you can show."

"Um... Sir, I don't mean to be rude, but I would like to be able to spend time with my girlfriend..."

"I understand. But, I would still like for you to come and talk with me at the time I told you. Just think on it, alright?"

Before Matt could tell him that he really would rather not, the stewardess walked by and told them to fasten their seatbelts, that they were about to take off. All fight gone from the noirette, he decided to just go with it, fastening his seatbelt. He would have to talk to Mary about it, but he doubted that he was going to go to visit some stranger in a tower. He felt okay talking with the stranger at the moment because he was on a plane, which meant that if the man tried to hurt him or something, a stewardess would be there almost in an instant. He decided to watch the outside world as it sped past, slowly losing his sense of time and just zoning out. Once the plane touched down, Matt blinked out of his thoughts. Once the plane stopped, he got his things and left, leaving behind Phillipe Loren without a second thought about it. Once he was able to leave the airport, he called Mary, letting her know that he was ready and waiting for the girl. While he waited for her to show up, he looked around. The sun was just beginning to rise up, a sign of early morning. The air was a bit thick, but it was a busy city, so it was understandable. The people were dressed strangely, either business like or scantly clothed. The noirette made many observations like this until he heard a car pull up. Out came Mary from the passenger side, a wide smile on her face.

"Matthew~!" she cried, jumping and hugging the male.

Matt laughed happily, setting his things down and spinning her in a small circle. Setting her on her feet, he beamed. "You're even more beautiful in real life," he informed her softly, cupping her cheek. He had dreamed about their first real life encounter over and over, and so far, the real thing was definitely way better than any of his little fantasies. Her blue eyes were sparkling in delight, and her lips were colored blue with lip gloss.

Which was quickly imprinted on his own lips when she kissed him.

The male blushed furiously as she pulled away. "O-oh my..." he breathed out. He didn't know of what else to say!

"Ooh~. Blue lip gloss looks good on you," beamed the girl, pulling out a small tube of the blue colored gloss from her pocket. She opened the cap and reapplied it to her own lips. "Wanna have some? It's blue berry flavored."

"My favorite," mused Matt, taking the tube. He applied some to his lips and rolled his lips a little to get a nice, even layer on both his top and bottom lip. Normally, he would never put on something so obviously girly, but since Mary had offered it, he couldn't resist her. "I don't look dorky, do I?"

"Not at all," giggled Mary, giving him an eskimo kiss. "You look lavishing~." She then lightly tugged his hand. "Let's get going. I could kill for more sleep and I'm sure that you're a little tired after the flight. Or is it still a bit early for you?"

"Well, it's probably five or six over in England," hummed Matt. "But if I am allowed to take a nap on the same bed with you, I think we can get a couple of hours of sleep."

**[xXx]**

**Read and review, my pretties~!**

**~Mary**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is just the slighest bit shorter than I originally wanted, but oh, well~. c:**

**I don't own Saints Row III, Volition and THQ do! I only own the plot of this story~. c:**

**[xXx]**

The day had been spent with Mary for the most part. Napping together in the girl's bed - which was extremely comfortable, by the way, cuddling, snuggling, watching television, playing a couple of video games, a little bit of kissing... It was a wonderful experience for Matt. He had called his parents, one at a time, just like he promised them that he would. They got to semi-formally meet his girlfriend through the phone, as well. After the conversing that left both teenagers drained, they went back to cuddling and watching reruns of _Nyte Blayde_ together. The two exchanged theories and laughed and cried and screamed at the show, both of them receiving the full effects of each episodes' feels. That was how their day was spent, with the exception of eating (or rather, feeding one another cutely). The day was wonderful, and the experiences in which it brought along with it were amazing. It was a long time, as well, before Matt even remembered a certain event that had taken place earlier in the day. Then Matt found himself asking something. Something that he needed to know.

"Teacup?" he asked the girl delicately, wrapping an arm around the girl's shoulders. He began to play with her long, curly black hair absentmindedly. _It's soft_... he thought to himself.

"Hmm...?" hummed Mary softly, her blue eyes closed. She lightly laid her head on his shoulder, placing a slender hand on his leg. She was so relaxed...

"Have you ever heard the name 'Phillipe Loren'?"

The girl tensed slightly before a heavy sigh relaxed her body. She shifted a little uncomfortably, though, as if the subject was a little bit of a tender spot for her. "He's the leader of the gang that's started showing up here... The MorningStar gang..." she explained softly. "He's very intelligent in the ways of business and in the ways of the world, but from I've heard, he's not that good with modern technology." She slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Why do you ask?" There was worry to her voice.

And that worry made the male feel bad. It was then that Matt relayed his experience with the strange, Belgian man on the plane from England to Steelport. He told his girlfriend how he had offered to help with the man's smart phone, and how that somehow led to the man's vague message and the one sided appointment that had been set up for later on in the night of that very day.

Mary took the male's hand into her own, lacing their fingers together a little tightly. "If he wanted to talk to you after you did him a favor, I think that he may be wanting to pay you back somehow. Even if you deny his offer to joining his company..."

"So... You're okay with me going?" Matt asked a little nervously, lightly gripping the girl's hand.

Mary nodded. She leaned up and lightly pressed their lips together in a small kiss. "But only if I get to go with you..." she whispered softly against his lips. She lightly pulled away. "That way if someone tries to hurt you, I can come to your rescue."

"But what if you get hurt?" challenged Matt lightly, unable to stop the smile that threatened to stretch along his lips. He found the idea of his petite girlfriend kicking butt and taking names to be rather adorable and kind of... cool. It was the fanboy in him, he knew it, but that didn't stop him.

"I'll be just fine," assured the black haired girl, giggling. She tucked some of her hair back behind her ear only to have it fall back into her face. "I'm a big girl. I know how to take care of myself." She lightly tapped the male's nose. "As for you, though, you'll need to reapply your lip gloss."

The male blushed deeply. He had completely forgotten that he had been wearing it! He smiled a little sheepishly. "May I remove it for now, my little teacup? I'm sure that Mr. Loren wouldn't think of me too highly wearing it..."

"If you promise to put it back on first thing after you're done talking with him," Mary pouted slightly. She had been hoping to make him reapply it right then and there, but if he was asking to take it off, who was she to really deny him?

"I promise," smiled the male, knowing that it was better to just do what she wanted rather than try and argue with her. After all, he lived to please her.

Mary grinned and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, love!" she chirped. She kissed his cheeks over and over, leaving behind blue lip gloss kiss marks. "I'm going to go make you some of your favorite tea~!" She then got up and hurried into the kitchen. In the meantime, Matt sighed happily to himself, wiping his lips clean using a tissue from a small box nearby.

"What did I ever do to deserve such a wonderful girl?" he asked himself softly with a happy smile. He looked up with warm, happy blue eyes when he heard Mary return a good ten minutes later. She had a tea pot and two cups on a tray in her hands. Setting the tea in front of them on the coffee table, she poured the two of them tea. Once that was done, she sat beside the male, handing him a cup. "Drink up," she said delicately.

Matt looked at the beautiful little teacup in front of him, smiling a bit. There was a reason for his girlfriend's cutesy little nickname. Her choice in teacups was simply adorable and beautiful. The cup was shaped like a leaf that retained rain in the water, the kind that one could pull downwards and drink from. The inside color was a porcelain white color, but it felt as smooth as polished glass. The rim, both along the top and along the bottom of the cup, were a strikingly neon blue color, painted delicately in sharp little angles while also flowing like leaves in the wind. Silver lined along the little blue designs, glinting just right in the light. The overall outside color was a fade from black at the bottom to porcelain white at the top. Along the fade, there were faded designs in the colors' inverted own, smooth and yet sharp at the same time, lined with a light, reddish pink color. The tea pot and little cup plates held the same beautiful design.

Mary had showed the male that very tea set and told him that it was beautiful and wonderful through text message a long time ago. And Matt agreed with her.

It truly was a beauty to behold.

Especially in person.

Matt held the cup up and inhaled, smiling warmly. Black tea with milk and a single cube of sugar. Pure perfection. He sipped it and groaned softly. "That tastes delicious," he informed his girlfriend.

Mary giggled as she sipped her own tea. "I would hope so. You told me how you like it." She sat her cup off to the side. "Is there something that you would like to eat with your tea?"

The male shook his head, smiling warmly at his girlfriend. "I'm set for now, thank you," he informed her. He sat aside his own cup and delicately took the girl's hands into his own. "Mary..."

"Yes, my love?" smiled the girl, lightly holding his hands in return.

"Promise not to run off on me if something goes bad at the Tower?"

"I promise."

Matt sighed in relief, closing his eyes. He then kissed her cheek gently. "Thank you, my little teacup..."

"Anything for you, my love," smiled Mary. She laid her head on his chest and had him lean back. Soon enough, she was laying on top of him, snuggling into him happily. "Anything for you..."

**[xXx]**

**Read and review, my pretties~!**

**~Mary**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own Saints Row III, Volition and THQ do! I only own the plot of this story~. c:**

**[xXx]**

Matt looked up at the Syndicate Tower as he stepped out of the taxi that he had ridden in to get there. He swallowed a lump that seemed to suddenly form in his throat, every nerve in his body screaming at him to not go into the looming menace of a steel building in front of him. The building seemed to radiate an aura of big business. Big business for big people. Big people who could probably pay for their kids to go to every single college that they could ever want to go to with just one pay check. The noirette bit the inside of his cheek slightly before attempting to harden his trembling nerves. Mary had told him that if Phillipe Loren, the leader of what she called the MorningStar gang, was wanting to talk to him after he did him a favor, it was possible that Loren was going to pay him or something. She had encouraged him that he go and see him... but now, he was having second thoughts.

Glancing over nervously, he saw the girl herself, looking up with blue eyes filled with anxiety. She had ridden there with him, wanting to make sure that the male would be alright, and it was apparent that she was more than nervous. Walking over to her, he delicately took her hand into his own, gently squeezing it. There was something that seemed to pain the girl while she was in the tower's presence. Matt didn't know what it was, but whatever it was, he wanted to make Mary know that she would be safe. Even if she claimed that she could take care of herself, Matt didn't want her to be afraid. After all, one of them had to be brave, right? Together, with the male leading, they walked up to the front door of the building and stared at the gleaming, silver push handle that stood between them and the inside of the building. _No turning back..._ Matt thought to himself, hesitantly raising his hand to push the door open.

Mary stopped him. "Let's do this together..." she whispered softly to him, looking up at him. Her blue eyes were still filled with anxiety, but there was something else there... Something strong and willing. Something that Matt found himself lost in... Receiving a small nod, she glanced back at the door, that something in her eyes seeming to grow. Their holding hands reached up and pushed the door open, and together, the two went into the large building, seemingly engulfed by the steel fortress. Everything was a blur up until the couple reached the large office of Phillipe Loren. Except they weren't alone with the Belgian business man. Oh, no. There were three other people in the room. Two women, who looked exactly like one another save for the rims of their sunglasses that rested on top of their heads, were on either side of Loren's desk, their arms crossed and hips cocked. The other person in the room was a large bear of a man, wearing a green suit and mask over his face. There seemed to be a permanent scowl on his lips, as well, under that mask, as though he wasn't amused by much.

Matt saw the large man and seemed to shrink back a bit. A bouncer, maybe? He doubted it, but it was America, and he didn't really know how the country worked all that well. At least, not yet, anyways. He couldn't help but wonder as to why the man wore a mask, though... The male felt something squeeze his hand and his eyes shot to it. He quickly remembered that Mary was there with him and relaxed slightly. He didn't relax all the way, but he had relaxed a little bit.

"The Luchadores gang leader..." Mary seemed to whisper, her eyes fixated on the large man. She glanced at Matt a little worriedly and squeezed his hand a bit tighter. "He's a wrestler who isn't afraid to kill some-..."

They both heard a deep scoff and looked up. It had been the large man... "Are you sure about this kid?" he grunted towards Loren. "The poor kid is _terrified_. He might just piss himself being here. He couldn't even come alone!" He looked at Mary before shaking his head, a smirk replacing his seemingly usual scowl.

"Oh, hush, Eddie," sighed one of the women beside Loren's desk.

"_What did you call me_?" sneered the man called Eddie.

"Relax, Killbane," the other woman said calmly. "You're going to scare the boy more than you already have..."

Mary looked at Matt worriedly. "Are you sure you don't want to go ahead and back out of this?" she asked him in a hushed whisper, casting a nervous glance over to the slightly calmed down Luchadore.

Matt bit his bottom lip. His girlfriend was giving him a chance to back out of the meeting...

But he wanted to see it through, for whatever reason.

"It's alright, my little teacup..." Matt assured the girl, giving her a shaky smile. He looked at the group in front of them, seemingly having missed the rest of their own conversation amongst themselves.

"Shy and timid ain't how a gang member is supposed to act," sighed the man now known as Killbane.

_Gang member_? Matt wondered to himself. _I know that they're gang people, but are they assuming that I'm one as well_? Oh, dear... Was it too late to get out of the meeting?

Loren flashed the couple a kind, reassuring smile. "I'm glad to see that you could make it," he addressed kindly. "Sorry about not speaking up sooner. I don't believe we've been formally introduced."

Yes, yes it was.

"My name is Phillipe Loren. These are my assistants, Kiki and Viola," Loren introduced, gesturing to both women at his sides. Which was which, neither teenager really knew... He then gestured to Killbane. "And, as you may have picked up, this is Killbane. And you two are...?"

"Matt Miller..." the black haired male said as confidently as he could, squeezing Mary's hand. "And this is my girlfriend-."

"Mary Porter," the black haired female finished off for her boyfriend, her voice strong and firm and well-practiced, squeezing his hand in return.

"I see..." mused the Belgian man. "It is a privilege to make your aquaintance." He then addressed Matt. "Are you any good at using today's... modern technology...?"

Matt hesitantly nodded. "I-I am..." he informed the man, all confidence gone from his voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Would you say that you are... hacker material?"

Mary's hand gripped Matt's tightly. "Hacker?" she questioned with a deep frown.

"Like the ones in the government," nodded Loren.

"I-I wouldn't say that I'm _that_ good with computers..." Matt stammered before his girlfriend could inquire further.

"Well, you certainly know more about the matter more than I do," mused Loren. "I was wondering that perhaps, maybe, you would like a full-time job working for me. With me, really." He stood and walked around to the front of his desk. "As the one who works with the computers and phones and whatnot. I'm sure that we could get you training in the field. After all, practice makes perfect."

"I-I simply couldn't do that..."

"What if I were to offer you a revenue, a home, and a base of operations?"

"I told you before... I'm only here for a short time and for my girlfriend..." Matt swallowed. "My parents wouldn't allow it..."

"I wouldn't be so sure. They may be willing to allow it if my silver tongue hasn't rusted any," mused Loren. "Plus, if you take me up on the offer, your girlfriend - Mary, was it? She can join you and you two can live together. Just a couple of years together, a ring, and _voila_. A happily married couple with much money in their retirement funds and pockets. Together, you could travel the world with the money you could make with this job..."

"I..." Matt looked at Mary.

Mary bit her lip. It was more than obvious that the offer was rather tempting... She cast her boyfriend an unsure look, hoping that he would let her have more time to give it thought. Matt wouldn't be alone in this decision, after all...

"We'll think about it, Mr. Loren."

**[xXx]**

**Read and review, please~!  
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**~Mary**


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